The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-10-22
NOTED FRENCH CRIMINALS.
What They Are and What They Do
..-Prison Life at Noumea.

An interesting account OF the
present status of notorious French
in New Caledonia has
been furnished by an official who
has just returned from that penal
colony. The most respectable, as
well as the senior of all the convicts,
is Berezovski, the Pole who fired
at the Emperor Alexander ii dur
ing the Paris Exhibition Of 1867.
Frequent applications have been
made for the liberation of Berez-
ovski, but they have all been re-
fused. He is now in the island Of
Nou, where he occupies a little
room apart from all the bad char
acters, and has even small garden
for himself. He roams about the
island, which is one-fourth of the
size of Paris, at his own sweet will,
and his conduct has always been
irreproachable. He receives large
quantity of newspapers, books and
pamphlets from the different coun-
tries by every mail. Berezovski is
now old and feeble to an extreme
degree. OF different class are
GILES and Abadie, the murderers of
the Paris grocer Lecercle. These
worthless are employed as street
scavangers at Noumea, and their
occupations is looked upon by their
companions in penal servitude as a
good one, for it is easy and also
enables them to pick up bits of to-
bacco and various odds and ends,
including. occasional aims. Pei,
who poisoned his servant at Mon
treuil, and then burned her remains
in a stove, died ia the beginning of
the wear. as we'll as Moyaux, who
murdered his own daughter. Guich-
ard, who murdered a bank messen-
ger at Marseilles, is doing we'll as a
store clerk, and hopes one day, If
not to get to Australia, at least to
settle down in New Caledonia as a
colonist. One of the most COM
Portable and thriving Of the convicts
is Fenayrou. the chemist of the
Boulevard Malesherbes, who led
the lover Of his wife into ambush at
Chatoll and then murdered him in
a most atrociOus manner. This
criminal has passed through the
various categories until he arrived
among the tirst-class convicts. lie
has share in a farm which he and
his wife superintend, and he has
under his orders some of the lower
class Of criminals. His life sentence
has been commuted to one oftwenty
wears. The Doctor who was con-
demned last year for having sent
poisoned game to a colleague, is
giving satisfaction in the colony
and hopes to be able to attain the
privileges accorded to Fcnayrou.
On the whole, the educated Grim
inals, even those who are undergo
ing sentences for serious crimes, are
highly spoken of by the Governor
of Noumea, and the most unmitl-
gated rascals are the Parish gamins
and the british peasants or labors,
most of whom are murderers.
Every year a certain number OF
these have to be shot down by the
warders. The official who uses his
revolver against the convicts is
tried as a formality against by
a court-martial and acquitted
The number of convicts is 1O,OOC
or more, and there are in addition
24O female convicts who, however,
were sent out to Noumea of theiI
own accord from the Maison Cen
trale of Paris for the purpose ofmar'
rying first-class misdemeanants
These women are supervised by
nuns. There are on the island 6OU
warders. The number of first-class
convicts amounts to 1900, and some
of them, like Fenayrou, have been
allowed to send for their wives
The state furnishes them with agri-
cultural implements, food and even
a few head Of cattle, when they are
permitted to begin farming, and
they generally contrive to do well
Another class, apart from all 9th
ers. is composed of skilled trades
men and mechanics, musicians and
even actors. These have a savings
bank of their own. a kind of club
and are almost too prosperous fol
convicts. The bandsmen are said
20 be good rs many regimental per
formers, and they play programmes
of select music before the Govern
or's mansion twice week, besides
giving occasional concerts. From
this it will be seen that the life OF
MANY convicts is far better thar
that which is led by thousands IL
the slums of Paris, and it is nc
wonder that, such being the case
numerous transgressors against the
law of the land, including those who
commit the most terrible crimes
should view with longing and de
light their dispatch to New Caledo
MIA by the clement mandate OF tn
president of the republic.-fari'
letter in London Telegraph.